Finally, somebody has invented the camera I have always wanted. Or at least, Turkish designer Zeki Özek has invented the camera tech I have always wanted.

Ozek’s iCam is a way to integrate your iPhone with a proper camera. The camera would have a cutout in the back into which the phone slots, hooking into the camera’s brain via the familiar 30-pin dock connector. The phone’s screen takes the place of a dedicated LCD, and photos are recorded direct to the iPhone’s internal storage.

Thus, the camera is downgraded to a dumb, light-processing terminal.

The iPhone’s camera is pretty good for a phone-cam, but nothing compared to proper, purpose-made cameras. Ozek’s iCam lets you shoot with proper lenses and large sensors to get much better images, but uses the iPhone as the brain so that you can edit and upload your photos immediately.

Imagine having Instagram and an always-on Internet connection in your DSLR and you’ll see what the excitement is all about.

While Zeki’s concept is shown using a Sony NEX 5 as a host, the more obvious system is Micro Four Thirds. It’s a fairly open standard, in that any manufacturer can join in, and there is already a good range of lenses (and lens adapters).

This weekend I took a trip away and carried my iPad and Panasonic GF1 with me the whole time. I took just one photo on the camera, and a whole bunch on the iPad, despite its truly awful camera, mostly because of Instagram and other apps. I doubt any existing manufacturer is going to relegate its range to a dumb photo-pipe anytime soon, but the potential for a proper iCam is huge. In fact, Zeki’s design has been accepted as a candidate for the prestigious Red Dot awards.